Natalia’s Game. Крейг Т. Бушар

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СКАЧАТЬ The Da Vinci is probably worth more than the school and the entire town of Mamaia nearby. This room is unlike anything I’ve seen in Romania.

      I take note of two empty seats, no windows, LED lighting – unusual for Romania – and a small camera in the darkest corner near the ceiling. Flowers in a vase on the table undoubtedly contain a microphone. Amateurish.

      I recognize some of these guys in the room. I had met Helsing the day before. Very professional.

      General Voiculescu was in the news as the first Romanian diplomat ever invited to the White House. He must be important.

      General Ponoru is their interface with NATO on cybercrime. Major Balan works for Ponoru.

      And Major General Ion Grecu. I don’t want to tangle with him. I’ve read his CIA file. He’s less sophisticated but a warrior. And smart. I will keep an eye on him.

      At the Board Meeting

      Helsing speaks first.

      “I call to order the Second Quarter Board Meeting of the SRI. Major Balan, please record the date, time, and attendees and keep the minutes.”

      Balan gets right to work, scribbling away. She not-so-casually glances at me, lingering for a moment and giving me this odd sexy look before returning to her work. Oh, boy.

      Helsing continues, “Our agenda today is in the Board book in front of you. It is short.”

      Major General Grecu gives his intro a little snort, leafing through the book’s pages.

      Helsing summarizes. “We will discuss Intelligence gathered over the past year, and we have invited General Thomas as a special guest.” Some light clapping fills the room; Balan claps audibly louder than anyone else.

      “Any questions before we begin?” Helsing waits for the others to answer, but no one reacts. Then he turns to me and continues: “General Thomas, I hope your trip was smooth and your lodging is acceptable. Thank you for your willingness to discuss our complex world and where it might head.”

      I observe protocol. “Thank you for having me. My accommodations are excellent, and the service by your staff is impeccable. I realize the importance of your topic since Romania is one of the former states under the influence of the Soviet Union. That’s becoming a hot topic under President Putin.”

      I pause to hold their attention.

      Grecu uses the opportunity to jump right in.

      “Excuse me. What are we doing here? Chairman Helsing, will we discuss our National Strategy with the senior commander of the American CIA?” Others are nodding, and it’s clear they have chosen Grecu to put me on the spot. Helsing doesn’t like Grecu and is anticipating the worst. Generals don’t like to be called by their first names in formal meetings…

      “Ion, the world is changing. Either we change with it, or we die. General Thomas has an extraordinary view of where the world might be going. We can learn. Early in his career, General Thomas produced a report that challenged intelligence-gathering forever. ‘Analysis and Assessment of the Gateway Process’ provided a framework for expanding human consciousness, out-of-body experiments (OBE), and altered states of mind. If you haven’t yet read the report, please do. The first section provides a timeline of key historical events that led the CIA to investigate paranormal skills. The second section discusses the principles of various theories required for mastery of hypnosis and transcendental meditation. The last section outlines the steps to transcend space and time.”

      Grecu is quiet but maintains eye contact with me. That stalemate lasts only a few seconds before he blurts out, “So what role did you play in the report?

      I answer, “The report was written about me. I understand you have tried to explore the quantum sciences. Perhaps I can be of help. Our two nations are bound together by friendship and trust.” Eyebrows shoot up around the room.

      Helsing: “There are photos of Thomas near the Berlin Wall when it fell in 1989 and again that year at Tiananmen Square. There is a record of him traveling to Mogadishu in 1993, where two American Black Hawk helicopters went down in hostile territory. Most of the crew died, but a few survived the crash. Shortly after Thomas arrived, a team of fewer than ten men rescued the trapped soldiers and somehow found a way back through congested, enemy-filled streets while killing 1000 Somali crazies who were peppering them with bullets and bombs.

      “Thomas was photographed during Saddam Hussein’s capture in 2004 and again with McChrystal in 2007 during the Iraq Surge. He was on the ship in 2011 when the Navy Seals dumped Bin Laden’s body into the ocean.

      “He negotiated Operation Bright Light with our former President. The US rewarded us handsomely for their black-ops site in Bucharest. That facility led to the arrest of Sheikh Mohammed, who bombed the World Trade Center. Mohammed eventually led us to the capture of Bin Laden. Bright Light is a deal that worked for both sides. As you know, Bright Light paid for the missile defense system that protects us from the

      Russians and continues to pay our salaries in this perpetually tough economy.”

      Grecu is a stocky guy who looks like someone stufef d him into a uniform a size too small. He shrinks back but glares at me, though I think I’ve won the others.

      I say, “Gentlemen, should I continue?”

      Helsing firmly says, “General, my apologies for this opening. Please continue and know that you are a proven friend of Romania.”

      With that statement, I’m on stage. “Gentlemen and lady, to begin, there is dissatisfaction in Moscow with the current alignment in Eastern Europe. That’s concerning. I’m unsure if I can help, but I’m happy to provide my frank views. ”

      “Our relationship with Romania is valued. Though your media paints a false picture, Operation Bright Light has been a success for both countries. Our government now holds Romania in high esteem. We view you as a partner.

      “The Russians are becoming a problem. They annexed Crimea and now have their eye on critical portions of Ukraine.” I carefully check each participant’s body language. Balan sits next to Ponoru and takes notes. Most of the others sit back in their chairs, arms and legs crossed. Negative and disinterested they are. That is about to change.

      “The United States, China, and Russia are the three dominant players on the world stage. Everyone else is a second-, third-, or fourth-tier player, frankly not worthy of today’s discussion. The United States has a four-year planning horizon. Russia operates under a ten-year plan though they go to press with only half of it. The Chinese have a one-hundred-year plan unavailable for viewing by anyone outside Communist Party leadership or the People’s Liberation Army.

      “The US owns the most powerful military machine and the second-largest nuclear arsenal. The Chinese are second in military strength. The Russians are weak, nearly bankrupt, and disorganized. But they have the largest nuclear arsenal.

      “The US has the most robust economy. The Chinese are second, with the Russians being broke and needing a higher oil price to meet ends.

      “All three countries are exploring bio-weapons. Each has a significant cyberattack initiative and has joined the race to develop hypersonic missiles that travel at five times the speed of sound. The US has a definite edge in military technology because our technical universities – schools like MIT, the University of Chicago, Stanford, and Cal Tech – cooperate closely with the Department of Defense. That said, СКАЧАТЬ